It is the basis for many buffers, reagents, and cell cultures, and is regularly used for washing and cleaning applications. This means the water you use in your lab needs to be as sterile as possible in order to prevent contamination. If you use tap water, you will want to meet every standard regarding water purity to ensure it is free of organics and ultra-pure.

While tap water is considered somewhat pure, there are some classes of contaminants that can create problems for many laboratory tasks. This can include a range of particulates such as colloids, bacterias, gases, inorganic ions like zinc, and organics like total organic carbon (TOC).

In fact, TOC is one of the most essential factors to measure for in your water, and remove using a water purification system. Meeting strict Total Organic Carbon (TOC) water standards requirements is extremely vital, and TOC testing is becoming increasingly standard in validated water purification systems. The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and ASTM international list TOC as one of the key substances to test for in any purified water system.

There are four water grades, or types, that are used to classify the quality or purity of water:

• Ultrapure water (type I)
• General laboratory grade water (type II)
• Primary grade water (type III)
• Feed water

Each type of water has to undergo various processes to reach a specific standard of purity, including carbon filtering, microfiltration, reverse osmosis, and more. The water grade reflects which type can be used for in laboratories. In other words, water purity classification helps scientists choose the quality of water that fits their specific needs.

High purity water has many uses in clinical diagnostics and medical research, as well as pharmaceutical control and R&D. The semiconductor and engineering industries also benefit from water purification.

If water quality is important to your work, having the proper water purification system installed is paramount. These systems, often referred to as high flow water purification systems, remove chemical contaminants through various techniques, such as de-ionization (DI) and reverse osmosis, and can come equipped with ultraviolet (UV) treatment systems.

The system can also range in capacity, from high capacity single tanks to dual-tank setups, supplying up to 40 liters per minute (L/min). High flow lab water system are typically equipped to handle ordinary tap water or pretreated water for most required laboratory applications.